Stay on target

One of my favorite comic books from the mid-90s was Joe Madureira’s Battle Chasers. What was fun about this series was that it was essentially a role-playing game in comic book form. The series lasted less than ten issues, but it has always stuck with me because of its unique art style and setting.

You can imagine my surprise when I learned that a Battle Chasers RPG was in development. I made sure to land an appointment for the game at last year’s E3 and was impressed by what I saw. It was exactly what I imagined a proper Battle Chasers RPG would be like; complete with gorgeous Joe Mad art and classic turn-based action. That was a hands-off demo, but for this year’s E3, I got to actually play it for myself. Spoiler alert: I really, really liked it.

Battle Chasers: Nightwar has an isometric camera angle similar to Diablo. With this viewpoint, it is easy to navigate through the intricately designed dungeons. Though most stages are hand-crafted, there are a few which are randomly generated. This gives the game significant replay value. As you would expect from any good RPG, each area is littered with secret passages, loot, and of course, lots of nasty monsters.

When engaging in combat, Battle Chasers‘ camera switches to a more traditional viewpoint with your party on the left side and enemies on the right. Your party is composed of three characters who each have their own special abilities. Like Final Fantasy X, players are able to see the attack order of characters and foes. This is useful for knowing when its best to attack or defend. It’s a simple system to understand but mastering it is a whole other story.

I did a good job of discovering hidden loot and clearing out lower-tier monsters as I made my way through the dungeon. When I got to the dungeon’s boss, things took a drastic turn. I had to face off against two vicious werewolves simultaneously. I was only supposed to fight one of them (along with a couple of minions), but two of them jumped me. I fought valiantly for some time, but it was ultimately a fight I couldn’t win. Even though I got my ass handed to me, I had a blast trying out different strategies.

I’m very happy with how Battle Chasers: Nightwar is coming along. Battle Chasers is a comic book which has been all but forgotten by the public. Hopefully, this game will put it in the spotlight again. If RPG fans embrace this title, then there is no reason we can’t have a full revival of the series, even if it’s in the form of a video game. Expect Battle Chasers: Nightwar to be released on October 3 for the Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. This is available for pre-order now from Amazon now